A team is only as good as its weakest link, so the saying goes. The Yankees have had a series of bench players, mop-up relievers and forgettable characters so far this year. Why not grade them?

Ronald Torreyes

The skinny: Torreyes got the chance to start plenty of games at second base until Gleyber Torres was called up and Toe did nothing but rake in that interim. It was mostly singles, but he finished April with a .390/.405/.488 line. He has been sent down and called up twice with the Yankees not having room on their infield for even semi-regular time. Gotta love Toe.

Best game/highlight: He’s had a trio of three-hit games this season, but one of his one-hit games stands out. On Apr. 19, he knocked in a run early before walking and scoring the go-ahead run in a 4-3 win vs. Toronto.

Midseason Grade: A

Brandon Drury

The skinny: The Yankees acquired Drury with the idea he’d be their starting third baseman, but vision problems and the emergence of Miguel Andujar have kept him away from the big league club. He has just eight hits as a Yankee thus far, though he excelled in Scranton. Hopefully, he’ll receive a larger chance now that his vision is better and he can make an impact in the second half.

Best game/highlight: In the second game of the year, he drove in two runs while going 2-for-3 with a walk. His double in the second inning came mere inches away from going out of the park.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Midseason Grade: C/Incomplete

Tyler Wade

The skinny: Wade’s first stint with the Yanks in 2018 was seriously disappointing. Though he provided the Yankees with stable defense at second, he simply didn’t hit. He had a real chance to win playing time at second base to start the year and blew it. His second opportunity in replacing Gleyber has been much better with six hits in his last 13 ABs with some good defense as well. He’s going to play a role down the stretch, even if it’s just as a pinch runner.

Best game/highlight: Last week, Wade came a triple short of the cycle, knocking his first career home run to right field at Camden Yards. It’s surprising a player that fast doesn’t have a triple in his career yet.

Midseason Grade: D

Clint Frazier

The skinny: Frazier is a victim of the Yankees having one of the best outfield rotations in baseball. He’d be starting in a corner for most other teams. When he’s been with the big league club, he’s shown strong patience and sports a .390 OBP. He was robbed of a game-winning home run by the monstrosity that is Tropicana Field. He’ll get an opportunity soon if he’s not traded for a top-line starting pitcher.

Best game/highlight: His first game of the year came on May 19 in Kansas City and he lined a double, drew two walks and scored a run. Always nice to see him show off both a strong approach and his Legendary Bat Speed.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Midseason Grade: B+

Tyler Austin

The skinny: Austin was the fill-in first baseman for Greg Bird for the first month and a half and was perfectly adequate. He hit eight home runs and put up a .471 slugging percentage. However, he didn’t get on base often enough and was prone to prolonged slumps. The 26-year-old remains a solid contingency plan waiting in Triple-A, though you’d rather see Bird out there for sure.

Best game/highlight: He has two two-homer games this year and the second one was an impressive day in Kansas City. He drilled a pair of two-run shots to knock starter Eric Skoglund out of the game and begin a blowout win.

Midseason Grade: B-

Billy McKinney

The skinny: Two games. Four at-bats. One hit. One injury. That’s a basic summary of McKinney’s big-league career thus far. He was called up for Game No. 2 after Aaron Hicks went down with an injury and was sidelined himself in his second start by banging into the left field wall at Rogers Centre. Not ideal. He’s been good once again in Scranton.

Best game/highlight: Obviously, it’s his one full game where he recorded his first career hit. March 30 in Toronto, a win to boot.

Midseason Grade: Incomplete

Cessa time. (Getty Images)

Luis Cessa

The skinny: Anyone else forget Luis Cessa was in a mop-up role in mid-April? He apparently threw four innings that month before suffering an oblique strain. He came back up in June, threw two innings of relief and then had a forgettable spot start in Philly. He then started in Baltimore during last Monday’s doubleheader with further detail below.

Best game/highlight: July 9 in Baltimore wasn’t a pretty day for the Yankees, but Cessa helped them salvage a win against the last-place O’s with six shutout innings. He put on six baserunners but pitched well and had two double plays turned behind him. Not bad!

Midseason Grade: B

David Hale

The skinny: Hale was up and down as a mop up reliever, taking almost exclusively the lowest leverage innings and saving the rest of the bullpen, all before receiving an unceremonious DFA. He threw exclusively multi-inning outings and also had one game with the Twins. While his last outing was impressive, he won’t be making another with the Yankees this season as he has signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO.

Best game/highlight: He saved the best for last in relief of Sonny Gray. He threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays in a 6-2 loss. While he gave the team a chance to win, it was more important that he simply absorbed innings.

Midseason Grade: A

Gio Gallegos

The skinny: Like Hale, Gallegos has come up to take on mop up innings. In four multi-inning outings, he hasn’t come in with a leverage index higher than .30. It’ll be tough for him to earn any sort of permanent role with the Yankees this season, so it’s the up-and-down role the rest of the way. He’s one of three Yankees with a save as he threw three innings to close Cessa’s win in the doubleheader.

Best game/highlight: In Cessa’s other start vs. the Phillies, Gallegos came in out of the bullpen and dazzled hitters with his stuff. Three innings, two hits, no runs and six strikeouts. Six! It was his best outing as a Yankee. Two of the Ks were the opposing pitcher, but he also punched out Cesar Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins.

Midseason Grade: B

Jace Peterson

The skinny: McKinney, Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury all were on the disabled list in early April, thus giving Peterson a shot. He got a chance to play three games (two starts) in the outfield, going 3-for-10 with a walk over 10 days. He joined Baltimore afterwards and, funny enough, has played as many games against the Yankees as he has for the Bombers.

Best game/highlight: He manned left field in his first Yankee start on Apr. 7 and saved the game with a nice catch to rob Pedro Alvarez of two go-ahead RBI in a game the Yankees would go on to win.

?Your browser does not support iframes.

Midseason Grade: B+

Shane Robinson

The skinny: With the Yankees still short on outfielders and facing lefties in Boston, Robinson got the call-up in place of Peterson. He went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base in his two games in pinstripes.

Best game/highlight: He pinch ran for Tyler Austin and stole second base on Apr. 11 in Boston. I guess that counts as a highlight?

The Yankees are in the middle of their best stretch of the young season. They’ve won their last three games — the Yankees have held their opponents to one run in all three games — and seven of their last ten games overall. Thanks to this stretch, the Yankees now lead baseball in runs per game (6.05) and are merely 19th in runs allowed per game (4.81). That’s a heck of a lot better than where they were a week ago at this time.

Tonight the Yankees will get a look at one of the best young pitchers in baseball in Jose Berrios. He’s sitting on a 1.63 ERA (1.77 FIP) and is tied for second in fWAR and tied for fourth in bWAR. The Yankees worked Berrios hard last year — he allowed six runs and threw 149 pitches in 6.1 innings at Yankee Stadium in 2017 (two appearances) — but last season is last season. Hopefully they have the same kind of success against him tonight. Here are the starting lineups:

Cloudy, cool, and windy in New York this evening, and there is some rain in the forecast later tonight. The internet tells me the heaviest stuff isn’t due to arrive until after midnight, so things should be fine for the game. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm ET and you can watch on YES locally and MLB Network out of market. Enjoy the game.

Injury Updates: Greg Bird (ankle) is heading to Tampa on Friday to continue his rehab work. He’s making good progress so far … Brandon Drury (migraines) will play seven innings at third base with Triple-A Scranton tomorrow, rest Thursday, then play a full nine innings Friday. It’s possible he could rejoin the Yankees after that, if all goes well … Tommy Kahnle (shoulder, biceps) is still doing rehab work. He’s yet to resume throwing. Kahnle was placed on the disabled list April 17th and the Yankees said he would be shut down ten days, so nothing’s changed, really.

Roster Move: So long, Jace Peterson. He was claimed off waivers by the Orioles earlier today, the Yankees announced. Peterson went 3-for-10 with a walk in pinstripes. Could’ve been worse.

Less than two years ago the Yankees plotted a course that changed the direction of the franchise. They decided to sell at the 2016 trade deadline, not buy, and as good as the Yankees were last year and as talented as the roster is this year, we’ve yet to see the impact of those 2016 deadline trades. Adam Warren is still around and Clint Frazier was up for a few minutes last season, but that’s about it so far.

Today, the prized 2016 trade deadline pickup arrives in the big leagues. As expected, the Yankees have called up Gleyber Torres, and he is in this afternoon’s starting lineup at second base. Aaron Boone made it clear this morning that the plan does not call for Torres to be a short-term addition to the lineup. He’s here for the long haul. The plan is primarily second base, but Gleyber may see some shortstop and third base as well, depending on the team’s needs.

“I think you all realize how much we value him as a player short-term, and certainly for our future,” said Boone this morning. “(Calling him up has) been something we’ve been having conversations about over the last week. When’s the right time? It just felt like today — lefty going — we just feel like he’s ready. We feel like he helps up on the short-term, but we feel like he’s checked the boxes we’ve wanted him to to be here. We’re excited to have him.”

Torres hit .370/.393/.510 (154 wRC+) with one homer in 13 Triple-A games and, interestingly enough, Boone seemed to indicate Gleyber would’ve been called up sooner had he not missed time with back stiffness last week. The Yankees wanted to make sure he’s right physically — both the back and after last year’s elbow surgery — and is back up to speed at the plate before calling him up. They feel he is, and now here he is, starting at second base in the Bronx.

Oh, and by the way, the Yankees have a chance to win a series this afternoon. Kind of a big deal. The Yankees have won two of the first three games of this four-game series with the Blue Jays, and they have their ace on the mound this afternoon, so locking down this series win over a division rival would be appreciated. The Yankees have yet to win a series of at least three games this year. To be fair, they’ve only played three such series, but still. Here are the lineups:

It is a wonderful day for baseball in the Bronx. Nice and sunny with a slight breeze. A little chilly, but that’s better than freezing cold. This afternoon’s game will begin at 1:05pm ET, and you can watch on YES locally and MLB Network out of market. Happy Gleyber Day, everyone. Enjoy the game.

Roster Moves: As expected, Tyler Wade was optioned to Triple-A Scranton to clear a spot for Gleyber. Wade will play everyday for the RailRiders (duh). Torres was already on the 40-man roster, so no other move was required … Also, the Yankees have called up righty David Hale to serve as a long man. He’d been starting in Triple-A and is stretched out to 90-ish pitches, so he’s available for super long relief, which I hope is not needed. Jace Peterson was designated for assignment to clear 25-man and 40-man roster space for Hale. The Yankees are now carrying eight relievers and three bench players.

Injury Updates: Brandon Drury (migraines) has been diagnosed with irritation in a tendon running up his neck and into his head, which is causing his headaches and blurred vision. Doctors have developed a treatment plan. Drury is taking batting practice and fielding grounders and all that in the meantime, though his return is not imminent. He’ll need a minor league rehab assignment first … Greg Bird (ankle) feels good and is expected to increase his hitting and running workloads this week. He’s still looking at a return at some point in mid-to-late May.

After back-to-back rainouts in Detroit, and despite heavy rain in New York this morning, the Yankees are finally back in action tonight. It’s still chilly and very windy in New York, but the rain has stopped, and that’s the most important thing. The Yankees haven’t played since Friday and they’ll be back at it tonight, thankfully.

Derek Jeter’s Marlins are in town for a quick two-game series — Jeter didn’t make the trip because he said it would be awkward — and with the Yankees looking to get on some kind of hot streak, two games against a team that has won four times in 15 games, and been outscored by 35 runs in the process, could be just what the baseball doctors order. Taking care of business against the Marlins tonight and tomorrow sure would be swell. Here are the lineups:

The rain has cleared out but, like I said, it’s still cold and windy in the Bronx. Not a great night to sit in the ballpark, really. Tonight’s game will begin at 6:35pm ET — the Yankees are testing out some early start times this month — and you can watch on YES. Enjoy the game.

Roster Move: Welcome back, Jace Peterson. Sunday he cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than accept his outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton, then this afternoon the Yankees re-signed him to a new contract, the team announced. Peterson is on the MLB roster. He replaces Luis Cessa, who was sent down yesterday. The Yankees have a four-man bench for the first time this season.

Injury Updates: Brandon Drury (migraines) still has headaches and blurred vision, and it gets worse during physical activity. He did take batting practice today though. Drury has been prescribed medication by a specialist, and has more tests pending. When asked whether he’s ever gone up to the plate with blurred vision, Drury said “all the time.” Okie dokie … Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique, hip) also has plantar fasciitis now. He hurt his foot while rehabbing his hip, which he hurt while rehabbing his oblique … Greg Bird (ankle) played catch and took ground balls today. He had his stitches removed last week and this is the first time we’ve heard about him doing any sort of baseball work. Aaron Boone said the Yankees are optimistic Bird will return “on the shorter side” of his 6-8 week timetable.

Suspension Update: Tyler Austin is expected to have his appeal heard later this week, likely Thursday. He received a five-game suspension for last week’s brawl with the Red Sox. It might get knocked down a game or two, but the suspension won’t be wiped away. Austin did charge the mound, after all. The Yankees will have to play with a 24-man roster during the suspension.

Site News: More information is coming, but we’re having an RAB Day at Yankee Stadium next month (May 12th vs. Athletics). Here are some of the details. We’ll post more info in a day or two. I just wanted to get that on everyone’s radar.

The Yankees are facing the Red Sox tonight for the first this season and of course it’s a Very Big Deal. Games between these two teams always get hyped up beyond belief. It is what it is. The Red Sox are hot (8-0 in their last eight games) and the Yankees are not (3-5 in their last eight games). Couldn’t think of a better series for the Yankees to turn things around after that yucky series with the Orioles.

Anyway, we’ve got a premium pitching matchup tonight. Luis Severino vs. Chris Sale, both of whom finished in the top three of the Cy Young voting last year. These two actually squared off twice last season, and the Yankees won both games. The Yankees went 3-1 in Severino starts against the Red Sox last year and also went 3-1 when facing Sale last year. Would be cool to see a repeat this year. Here are the starting lineups.

The players are in for another cold game tonight. The temperatures will be in the low-30s all night and it’s pretty windy as well. At least the rain stopped. It rained in Boston for much of the afternoon. Miserable baseball weather. So it goes. Tonight’s series opener will begin a little after 7pm ET, and you’ll be able to watch on YES locally and ESPN nationally. Enjoy the ballgame.

Roster Move: Robinson has been added to the roster, obviously. He’s in the lineup. Jace Peterson was designated for assignment to clear 25-man and 40-man roster space. The Yankees want the right-handed hitting natural outfielder on the roster against Sale and David Price these next two days instead of the left-handed hitting infielder-turned-outfielder. I’m guessing Peterson will clear waivers and accept the minor league assignment, and stay in the organization as a non-40-man roster player.

Injury Update: CC Sabathia (hip) played catch today and said he’s been pain-free for a few days now. The next step is a bullpen session … Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique, hip) received a cortisone injection in the hip and the hope is he’ll be able to resume baseball activities Friday … Brandon Drury (migraines) went for a battery of tests yesterday and the Yankees are waiting for the results … Gary Sanchez (calf) is fine and could’ve caught today, but Aaron Boone decided to give him one more day away from catching as a precaution.

Rotation Update: As expected, Sonny Gray will start Thursday’s series finale. He’ll be on normal rest thanks to yesterday’s off-day. That is Sabathia’s spot. The Yankees waited until this afternoon to officially announce Gray as Thursday’s starter for whatever reason.

The list of injured Yankees keeps getting longer. As expected, the team announced a series of roster moves this morning, which includes sending two more players to the disabled list. Here’s a recap:

Placed CC Sabathia on the 10-day DL with a right hip strain.

Placed Brandon Drury on the 10-day DL with severe migraines.

Optioned Jonathan Holder to Triple-A Scranton.

Called up Luis Cessa and Domingo German from Triple-A.

Added Jace Peterson to the 40-man roster and called him up from Triple-A.

The Yankees had an open 40-man roster spot after losing Trayce Thompson on waivers a few days ago, so no 40-man move was necessary to accommodate Peterson. Three removed from the 25-man roster and three added to the 25-man roster. Straight swaps.

Sabathia left last night’s start with right hip soreness and an MRI came back clean. He said he didn’t believe he’d have to miss a start, and even if true, the Yankees are going to play it safe early in the season. Monday’s off-day means Sabathia will only miss one start if he misses the minimum ten days.

Drury left last night’s start with a migraine and blurred vision. Assuming Peterson takes on a bench role, Miguel Andujar could get an opportunity to play third base on an everyday basis for at least the next ten days. That’d be cool. Something tells me Ronald Torreyes will see some action there as well.

“Vision’s been very blurry. It’s baseball. I need my eyes to be right to play,” said Drury to Erik Boland, adding he’s been dealing with migraines since Spring Training. “I want to get that fixed up and see what’s going on with my vision.”

The Holder, Cessa, and German moves are all about adding fresh arms following last night’s 14-inning game. Holder has not been good this year (seven runs in 2.2 innings) and is the only optionable reliever in the bullpen, so down he went. Cessa was scheduled to start today for the RailRiders and German was due to start Monday.

Presumably either Cessa or German will step into Sabathia’s rotation spot for the time being, and it might come down to who is available. Monday’s off-day means Aaron Boone can use both in relief this weekend and still have them make Sabathia’s next start, which could be pushed back to next Saturday, on normal rest.

The Yankees now have eight (!) players on the MLB disabled list: Sabathia, Drury, Greg Bird (ankle), Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique, hip), Clint Frazier (concussion), Ben Heller (elbow), Aaron Hicks (intercostal), and Billy McKinney (shoulder). Hicks is expected back as soon as Tuesday. The other guys are all a little further out. Also, Tyler Wade left last night’s game with an illness, so he’s not 100% either.

The Yankees have a great deal of depth throughout their organization at this point, and that includes the 25-man roster, MLB-ready players (be it those that are no longer rookie-eligible, or those that aren’t considered top prospects), and top prospects that are expected to knock on the door in short order. The middle tier of that group has shifted considerably over the off-season, as the team made trades (Giancarlo Stanton and Brandon Drury) and signed free agents (Neil Walker, specifically), but it has come into focus as we rapidly approach Opening Day. And it is those players that I’ll dig into a bit today.

Tyler Austin

A month ago, it seemed as though Austin had a spot on the Yankees roster locked-up; or, alternatively, that he had an incredibly strong inside track to a spot on the major-league roster. His ability to play first base and right-handed power made him an ideal back-up for and/or complement to Greg Bird, and the team didn’t have another player of that ilk sitting around. As long as he stayed healthy throughout the Spring (never a given with Austin), he had a good shot at making the cut.

And then they traded for Brandon Drury. It was a move that would give the Yankees depth at second and third, and therefore not necessarily a move that would impede Austin’s path to the roster – but Drury is almost a year younger than Austin, offers a similar (and more proven) offensive skill-set, and has experience at all four corners, second base, and shortstop. In the event that Miguel Andujar or Gleyber Torres made the team, it was clear that Austin would end up the odd-man out. That didn’t happen, as Andujar and Torres were not long for the team, so the chance was still there.

And then they signed the aforementioned Walker. And with that their starters at second and third could both fill-in at first base, and Austin’s lack of versatility within the infield spelled the end of his opportunity – for now, at least.

Austin, despite never having an extended run with the Yankees, is a known commodity at this point. He has raked at Triple-A in back-to-back seasons (.323/.415/.637, 201 wRC+ in 234 PA in 2016, .275/.342/.544, 143 wRC+ in 190 PA in 2017), but that hasn’t translated all that well to the majors yet (.236/.294/.447, 94 wRC+ in 136 PA). And, despite his ability to stand in outfield, he only play out there in an emergency.

If Austin ends up playing a significant role for the team this year, it will almost certainly be due to something happening to Bird, be it an injury or an extended stretch of awful performance. (Sure enough, Bird is hurt already.) And if Andujar and/or Torres end up forcing the issue, his place on the depth chart could become even more tenuous due to his lack of versatility.

Clint Frazier

(Nick Turchiaro/USA Today)

The last few months have not been terribly kind to Frazier. His place within the organization was thrown into question with the acquisition of Stanton, and he subsequently spent the rest of the Winter being involved in whatever trade rumors were floated for the litany of starting pitchers that are/were/could have been on the market. And then he cut off his luscious locks to curb any potential issues with the team’s grooming policy, which is a throwback to the stupidity of last off-season’s news cycle – which is a non-issue, really, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Frazier was concussed as a result of crashing into the outfield wall in Spring Training. He hasn’t played since February 24 as a result, and he may well open the season on the disabled list. The the first few weeks his recovery were downright frightening (a concussion is a brain injury, after all), and his progress is best-described as slow and steady.

With the possible exception of his injuries – an oblique injury shortly after his call-up last year and the concussion – Frazier’s stock remains largely unchanged. He was a consensus top-forty prospect heading into last season, he hit well at Triple-A (.256/.344/.473, 123 wRC+ – a notable improvement over his 88 wRC+ there in 2016), and flashed his potential in 39 games with the Yankees. The ridiculous bat speed, prodigious raw power, and 80-grade hustle were on display every step of the way, too. And he’ll spend most of the season as a 23-year-old, too, so there’s no reason to think that his stock is slipping. If and when he recovers from his concussion, it’ll be a matter of opportunity (or lack thereof) more than anything else.

Frazier’s role with the team is going to be up in the air for some time, but I think he’s much closer to the starting lineup than one might expect. A healthy Jacoby Ellsbury would have an edge on a bench spot, but if an opportunity arose for a starting role (meaning an injury, or maybe regression from Aaron Hicks) I think Frazier would leapfrog him for the regular playing time. Regardless of Frazier’s future with the team, I think it would behoove the Yankees to keep him playing regularly at some level, rather than sitting on a bench.

Kyle Higashioka

(Michele Rochford/Times Leader)

This is Higashioka’s eleventh year in the Yankees organization, and that does not quite capture how long his road to the show has been. His defense has long been considered at least solid-average, and there was always some hope that his bat would develop. He flashed a strong hit tool and a strong approach throughout his minor league career, and there were rumblings of above-average raw power, too. Unfortunately, assorted injuries and a Tommy John surgery sidelined Higashioka for most of 2012 and nearly all of 2013 and 2014, and he looked like a non-prospect when he returned in 2015.

And then he went out and hit .276/.337/.511 in 416 PA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016. And when Gary Sanchez went down with an injury in the first week of the 2017 season, some felt that he should be the Yankees starting catcher. That didn’t happen, though, and his .000/.100/.000 slash line in 20 PA as Romine’s back-up didn’t give us any reason to continue to argue otherwise.

Higashioka went back down to the minors when Sanchez returned, and promptly suffered a back injury. He ended up playing in just 30 games between the minors and majors last season, and his durability is once again at the forefront of his profile. If there’s any silver lining, it might be that he hit .338/.390/.797 in the minors … but that was in all of 82 PA.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old Higashioka is healthy and hitting in Spring Training, which is a good sign. I believe that he’ll be the first catcher up should the need arise, but that’s predicated upon him staying healthy – which is far from a guarantee.

Erik Kratz

(AP)

Do you feel the excitement in your bones? Kratz is included here largely because of the injury issues that have plagued Higashioka. He earned the call over a healthy Higashioka when the rosters expanded in September, as well, so maybe there’s even something more to it.

Beyond that, Kratz is a prototypical journeyman catcher. He can’t hit (his 1.000/1.000/1.500 line in 2 PA with the Yankees notwithstanding), but he’s a good defensive catcher that grades out well in framing, blocking, and controlling the running game. Seeing him on the roster before September wouldn’t be a good sign, but he’s a competent hand.

Billy McKinney

(Joel Auerbach/Getty)

The injuries to Ellsbury and Frazier may well make McKinney an Opening Day bench piece by the time that you read this, but he fits here as this is being written.

McKinney was regarded something of a throw-in in the Aroldis Chapman trade that netted Gleyber Torres, but he was always a bit more than that. He was a consensus top-100 prospect heading into 2015 and 2016, and he had a first-round pick pedigree. He struggled mightily in 2016, though, slashing just .246/.342/.338 in Double-A and, as a bat-first (or bat-only) prospect, that wasn’t a good sign. He was nevertheless worth the flier, as someone that had been lauded for above-average grades in his hit tool, power, and approach.

His inclusion in the trade paid dividends in 2017, as McKinney performed decently at Double-A (.250/.339/.431, 110 wRC+ in 276 PA), and brilliantly at Triple-A (.306/.336/.541, 140 wRC+ in 224 PA), before closing out the season with a solid effort in the Arizona Fall League. There were some less than enthusing underlying numbers, such as a 4.0% walk rate in Triple-A – but a “throw-in” prospect hitting that well on the whole is a boon. And he was added to the 40-man roster in November as a result.

McKinney played the outfield exclusively prior to playing first base in the Arizona Fall League, and was generally regarded as passable as a corner outfielder. He has continued to play first in Spring Training, and the reviews are generally okay. He’s still a work in progress, but he’s far from a disaster there. And, given his relative inexperience there, that’s a good sign. His strange but productive .179/.410/.607 line in Spring Training isn’t bad, either.

Were it not for injuries to Ellsbury and Frazier, I’d expect McKinney to spend the vast majority of the year in Triple-A (or in another organization). There’s a real opportunity for him now, though, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up on the big league roster until those two were deemed healthy; and, in Ellsbury’s case, I’m sure the Yankees will take their time with those evaluations. Whether or not that turns into a genuine opportunity is unlikely for the time being, but it’s not entirely out of the question.

Jace Peterson

A tiny picture for a small role. (MLB.com)

Peterson was signed in back in January, and there hasn’t been all that much discussion about him since. He was picked-up to be a depth piece behind or alongside Tyler Wade and Ronald Torreyes, but there was never a chance that he would be anything more than a bench player. And with the trade for Drury and the signing of Walker, the odds of Peterson playing a role with the big club this year are dependent upon several things going wrong.

It’s worth noting, I suppose, that Peterson has spent time at all four infield and all three outfield spots in his big league career (even though he grades out poorly at most of them), so he could be the emergency option in plenty of ways should that opportunity arise. That’s essentially the role that Wade will play this year, though, and the versatility of Drury and Walker further abrogates the need for that sort of player anyway. He’s basically the Donovan Solano replacement, albeit with way more hurdles in his path.